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By Seth Emmanuel
East African Community (EAC) heads of state Tuesday approved the admission of DR Congo into the bloc at a regional summit held virtually.
DR Congo applied for membership in 2019, with intentions to improve trade and political ties with its East African neighbors but full integration could take months before its citizens could enjoy privileges such as visiting member states without visa.
The East African Business Council (EABC) congratulates the people and the Government of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) led by H.E. President Félix Antoine Tshisekedi Tshilombo following DRC admission into the East African Community (EAC) by the 19th Extra-Ordinary Summit of the EAC Heads of State.
This historical and landmark milestone has transformed the EAC bloc into the most attractive trade investment destination in Africa, offering a market-driven economy of 266 million people and a Gross Domestic Product of USD 243 billion.
The East African Business Council welcomes the Democratic Republic of Congo to the EAC bloc. EABC is steadfast to ensure the cost of doing business across EAC borders is reduced and businesses in DRC benefit from better trade facilitation at the ports of Mombassa (Kenya) and Dar es Salaam (Tanzania).
Following this milestone, trade is set to increase immensely as DRC shares its borders with 5 EAC Partner States: South Sudan, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi and Tanzania.
The East African Business Council looks forward to accession of DRC to the East African Community by 14th April 2022 and improvement of regional infrastructure connectivity plus the implementation of EAC commitments in order to unlock trade opportunities.